TheNazcaMonkeyFigure Revisited

CliffordC.Richey August2011

Itisunlikelythatalltheprinciplesusedinthisancientcompositionhavebeendeterminedbut perhapsenoughtobeabletoobtainthegeneralidea.Forthepresentitappearsthatthefollowing ruleswereusedinorganizingandcomposingthecomposition. LayeredOrganization.Gesturesignsweredepictedbymotionsmadeintheairandreliedonthe reader'smemorytoretainthemessagefromonesigntotheother.Thesamesystemcouldnothave beenusedinwrittensignlanguagebecausewritingsignsontopofoneanotherwouldhaveresulted inahopelesstangleofsigns.Thussignswereseparatedbyspatialorganization,suchasthe groupingofFormsintopatterns,ordiscreteImages.Form,Imagery,andGestureelementsareall consideredsigns.Generallytheyappeartohavebeenreadfromthelargestsigntothesmaller. TheInitialorTotalForm(shape).Thiscouldbeconsideredthetitleorsubjectofthecomposition. IthasnotyetbeendeterminedhowoneshoulddetermineTotalForm.Attimesitseemsthatone shouldjustvisuallytracetheoutlinetogaintheForm.Atothertimesthisseemstoresultinan incoherentshapesoperhapsitwasintendedthatoneonlylookattheoverallFormandnotinclude everydetailsuchasminorindentations. SubForms.FoundwithinotherFormsorFormswithacomparativereductioninsize. Imagery.Usuallyimagerywascomposedofelementarygesturesignsthatheldan associational(theessenceofthedepictedsubject)value.Suchimagerywasoftenthe equivalentofaphraseinEnglish. BasicGestureSigns.Literallyhundredsofsuchsignshavebeenhistoricallydocumented,intexts onsignlanguage,andcanusedtoassistinlearningthemeaningoftheassociationalimagery throughcontext.Thesesignsweredrawnleavingoutthedepictionofthehands.Theresultantlines andtheformtheytookwaswhatwasconsideredimportant.Forexample,alargeXshapedsign wasbasedonthegestureoftwoarmscrossingeachothersintheactofatrade.Thissignwasalso usedforexchange,andtransformationdependingonitscontext. Position.Thesignsarepositionallysensitive.Relativedirectionaswellasunwrittensigns canbedeterminedbytheirposition.Forexample,thepositionofasignonafaceorbody canrepresentthatpartwithoutitneedingtobeshown.Thenondepictedpartisincorporatedinto themessagealongwiththesignthatoccupiestheposition.Thiscouldresultinsomebizarre formsandimagery.ALegandFootmightappearwhereanArmandHardwouldbe expected.BecausetheLegandFootholdthemeaningofalongjourneyandtheArmandHand holdthemeaningofawarriorandstewardorpriesttheresultantmessagewouldbe,thelong journeyofthewarriorpriest. CompoundingofSigns.Form,Imagery,andGesturesignswereallcompounded.Thisoften resultedinoddappearingFormssuchasaSerpent'sBodywiththeHeadofaFox,etc.Compounded GesturesignsaresometimesdifficulttorecognizebecauseoftheirsimplicityorlackofImagery. Stance.ExampleswouldbeofaFiguresittingmeaning,waiting.AFigureonBendedKnee mightrepresentonearisingetc.StancemightalsoincludesuchthingsasFacialExpression. Writtensignlanguagewasaskeletallanguageandthereforecouldbeusedbypeoplespeakinga varietyofdifferentlanguageswithdifferentgrammars.Theeloquenceofthetranslationwas dependentonthereaderandthemannerinwhichthesignswereparaphrased.

TheoriginalpaperontheNazcaMonkeyFigurewaswrittenmorethanadecadeago.Muchhas beenlearnedsincethattimewhichincludesabetterappreciationoftheuseofcompoundedForm, andthehighlypositionalnatureofthesignsastheyrelatedtooneanother.

Illustration1:TotalForm:TheProphet LooksEastward,TheWaitingPlace MostanimalImageryfoundinNativeAmericancompositionsareassociativeandrelatedtothe spiritoressenceofthatanimal.TheessenceofaDogisitsabilitytoalertpeopletoeventsor dangersyetunseen.Duetoitsacutehearingadogcanalertpeoplethatsomeoneorsomepossible dangerisapproaching.ItappearsthattheFormandImageryoftheDogwasusedtoencompassthe ideaofaprediction,oraprophecy.Othersynonymsare:augury,forecast,foretelling,soothsaying, etc.,TheStanceoftheDog'sHeadisfacingtotheLeftorEastinaccordancewiththeprinciplesof NativeAmericangesturesigningwherebyitwasassumedthatthereaderwasfacingSouthmaking hisLeftHandindicatetheEastandhisRightHandtheWest.Ofcoursethereaderdidnotnot literallyhavetotakethatposition. CompoundedwiththeprofileFormoftheDog'sHeadisaRectangularplacesign,TheStanceof theplacesignisRightwardLeaningindicating,waiting.ThisStancewasbasedonthegesturesign which,inwrittenform,isasimpleverticallineleaningtotheright. TheDog,TheProphet Looks Eastward, Thewaitingplace. TheMonkeyImagerythatiswithintheDog/ProphetForm,asweshallshortlylearn,istheImage associatedwiththespiritoressenceofastorm.Itseemslikelythattheprophetislookingeastward fortheappearanceofastorm.Butwasitanormalweatherpatternforstormstoarrivefromthe east?AccordingtoDr.MarcusReindel1indiscussingpossibledamagetothedesertfiguresstates,, ...inonepartoftheNascaPampa,wheredryvalleysreachfarbackintothemountainstotheeast, rainfallsinthehighlandsduringirregularprecipitationpatternslikethesocalledNiamay
1 http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/episode/nascalinestheburiedsecrets4477/Overview14#tabqadr markusreindel#ixzz1UubqkYLx

producewaterflowswhichreachthepampasandmaydamagethegeoglyphs.Thusitwouldseem reasonablefortheProphettobelookingtothehighlandseastoftheMonkeyFigureforsignsofa storm.

Illustration2:TextOverlay Illustration2providesuswithanoverlayoftextrelatedtothesignsfoundintheMonkeyFigure.In accordancewiththeprinciplesofwrittensignlanguagewetendtoreadfromthelargerFormsand Imagerytothesmallerones.Thisisreflectedinthefontsizeoftheoverlay.Becausethemessageof theglyphisnonlinearwecanstartourreadinganywhereandstill,intheend,understandits message.WenotethatwhatwasessentiallytheFormofawaitingplacesignwithintheImagery levelprovidesadditionalinformationastheupperleftcorneroftherectangleformstheTriangular, earthfemalesign.Further,the(blue)LineswithintheTriangleisthesignforafloworflowing which,inthiscase,iswater.Thispartofthemessagemaywellhavebeenametaphoricalallusionto themensesoftheearthfemale.Inanyevent,theresultofanystormmightwellresultinwater flowingdownthehillsideuponwhichthisglyphwascreated.Photographsshowanareaoferosion oradrywashneartheMonkey'sHands. Wewillnowmoveontoexplanationsofsomeofthedetailsfoundintheglyph.

Illustration3:AreasDiscussedasNumbered TheessenceofaMonkeyisthatitlivesinthetrees,aspacebetweentheearth'ssurfaceandthesky. Whenhuntedbandsofmonkeyswhetheroutofexcitementordefenseurinateonthehuntersbelow givingtheeffectofarainstorm.ForthisreasonitisthoughtthattheMonkeyImageryrepresenteda storm.Wewillseethat,withinthecontextofthecomposition,thisattributionseemstofitinquite well.Theanticsofbandsofmonkeysjumpingfrombranchtobranchinthejunglecanopycould wellhavebeen,metaphorically,associatedwiththemovementsofastorm. Thisdesertfigurewasdrawnwithonesinglelinebut,ineffect,thatmadetheMonkeyImagery DoubleLined,indicatingitwasinvisibleorunseen.FurthertheMonkeyhasnoFaceandaswehave seeinpastpaperstheFaceindicated,heappears,orhisappearance.ThusbyimplicationtheStorm hasnotyetappeared.

Illustration4:TheMonkey'sCompoundForms

TheOverallFormoftheMonkey'sTail(bluegreen)appearstobethatofaSerpent.TheSerpent, perhapsbyassociationwithariver,indicatesastreamofwater.TheCrook(tan)signinthecenter oftheSwirlmeans,take,orbring.TheConcentricSwirlsindicate,levelsofheight.TheSwirl indicatesanumber(three,shorthandformany).Manylevelsorhighabove.Thedirectionofthe swirlsaredownward.TheHead(ing)oftheSerpentappearstobethatofaFinger(thethickening oftheTailatitsbase)indicatingthedirection,here.FromtheMouthoftheSerpent(positional) stemDoubleLinesindicatingunseen(actuallytheentireMonkeywasconsideredDoubleLinedand unseen). Monkey,Storm, YourStream, BringDown, from Highabove, Here, TheMouth, Thewatersource.

WenowcometothejunctionoftheMonkey'sTail,Legs,andgenitalarea.TheLegsareintheRight FacingStancethatmeansarriveorappear.TheRectanglethatconnectsthePairoflegsisaRight Leaning,waitingplacesign.Itisfromhere,thegenitalarea,thattheDoubleLines(blue)continue downward.IntermsoftheMonkey'sStanceheisurinatingormakingwater. Appear, atthe Waitingplace

The(blue)DoubleLines(unseen)leadsdownward(Positionally,belowtheTail)totheground surface(theyellowangledLine).

Illustration5:TheStreamof Water Appear, Here Makewater, Down, ontothe Surface, and Below it. ThewaterLine(blue)continuesonpasttheground'ssurfaceanddownthesideformingalarge (blue)Zigzagwatersign.ThispartofthemessageterminatesattheSlantedsecondsurfaceLine (yellow).TheSlantedStanceindicates,awaitingorwaiting.TheTriangularareas(red)arethesigns forfemale,meaningthefemaleearth.TheZigzag(watersign)iscompoundedwithaplacesignand thefemalesign,afemaleearthplacelocatedbelowthesurface.Thislastsignrestsuponaneven moresteeplyangled(yellow)surfacesign.Thereasonforthisisnotentirelyclearbutmayhave beenusedtoconnectorindicatethecontinuationofthemain(larger)messageatthesurfacelevel.
Thewater, Belowthesurface, Ontheside,

Anearthfemale, Place

ReturningtothejunctionattheGenitalarea,theTail,andtheBodyweseethatthebackofthe MonkeywascreatedfromaBentFinger(tan)pointingthedirectionabove,here.TheHeadofthe MonkeyisacompoundofseveralFormseachoffsetabitperhapssothattheycouldbediscerned moreeasily.TheForeheadoftheMonkey(aHalfCircle)istheupperhalfsignindicatingtheupper world.ThissignrestsupontheFormofaSeveredFinger(green)pointingtothesameareaasthe one(tan)thatmakesuptheBackoftheMonkey.ThisFingerisacompoundFormthatstretches betweenthePositionoftheEars(thetwoorificesorholeslocatedonthesides.ThetwoFingers theirtips)maketheVshapedsignforanopening.AlsotheleftEaroftheMonkeyalsohasthe V(Form)signforanopening,positioned,ontheside.TheCentralpartofthesign(green)isa placesign. Here, OntheSurface, Ofthe Upperworld, the Opening, The Place.

Illustration6:The MaleSpirit Nextwefindthe(blue)malespiritsign.Thissignwasbasedontheglanspenistosignifygender justastheTriangularfemalesignwasbasedontheformofthefemalegenitalarea.Thisidentifies theMonkeyorstormasmale(onorabovethesurfaceofearthfemale)andaspirit.

ThespiritofstormisbyitsStanceplacingwater(thelarge(blue)Zigzagsignbeneaththesurface (yellow)oftheearth.TheArmsandHandsofthestormcreatethe+shapedsignthatmeans crossingorpassingthrough.TheHandsareabitoddinthattheMonkey'sHandshaveatotalof onlyNineFingers.Thiswouldseemtoindicatethatthethewaterwasplacedintotheninelevelsof theunderworld.TheMonkey'slefthandhasthefirstFingermakingthesignfor,coveredunseen, followedbyturning,andhelddownbelow(positional).Therighthand'sFingersmean,turning, here,place,below.NotethatthethirdFingerontherighthandhasasquaredofffingertipturning thatfingerintoaplacesign.

Illustration7:TheFormof theFingers Monkey,Storm, Spirit, Yourhands, Passthrough, Thewaitingsurface, releasingwater, covered,unseen, turning, helddownbelow. Turning, Here, Placebelow

Illustration8:TheMountainsideandtheWaitingPlace WehavenowcoveredtheSections1and2andwillnowexamineSection3whichis,basically,the sign(green)foramountainside.ThebaseofthemountainsidehasaTriangular(alsogreen), femaleearthsignonitthatwascreatedbythethird(yellow)groundsurfaceLine.The(yellow) surfaceLinehastheangledStancethatmeanswaitingorawaiting.InSection4weseetheupward anddownwardpathwaysofwater(blue)thatisbeneaththesurfaceofthemountain.Thewater Linesdonotgohigherthanthetopsurface(positional)ofthemountain.Thereasonforthethree (many?)surfacelevelsisnotknown.Onepossibilityisthattheymayrepresentthevariouslevelsof themountainsidetopography. Themountainside, Theawaiting, Femaleearth, Herpathways, of Water, Movingupward, and downward, Below.

Illustration9:TheGreatWaitingPlace FinallywehavetherelativelyLarge(green)Rectangularplacesign.Theplacesignisangledthe sameasthesurfaceLinemeaning,waitingorawaiting.Thisisacompoundsignwheretheupper leftcornerofthesignisintheFormoftheTriangularfemaleearthsign.WithintheTriangleisthe (blue)signfor,afloworflowing. TheGreatWaitingPlace, of TheEarthfemale, Herflow. Asmentionedearlierinthispaperthestatementabouttheearthfemaleherflowmaybeametaphor relatedtothemensesofearthwoman.Theimplicationmayhavebeenthattheflowwouldnotbe possiblewithouttheperiodicrainfromthestormsonthemountainsides.Theflowofsubterranean waterwascrucialforagriculturebutitwasalsopartofthecosmologyasanimportantavenuefor thespiritsofthedeceasedtorisetotheearth'ssurfacefortheirrebirthandascensiontothesky. Theskywastheabodeofthedeceased,male,ancestorssuchastheWarrior'sStar(Venus).Itwas forthisreasonthatmanythesignswerewrittenlargeonthedesertfloorinorderthattheancestors couldalsoreadthem.ItthecaseofthisparticularMonkeyFiguretheaimwasnotsohighupbut stilltotheskywherethestormspirithadhishouseorabode.ItisnotknownwhethertheNazca hadaclanorfamilylineagewhoseleadermayhavebeennamedafterStormandwhoalso,asa deceasedancestor,mayalsohavebeenthoughttofolloweventsontheearth. TheImageryoftheMonkeyOrstormshowshimhoveringoveramountainsideandplacingwater intotheearth.Thisreflectstheactualplacementofthetopoglyphwhichwasmadeonahillside. HoweverthesmallercompoundForms(theHead)makethestatementthatthemalespirit,hisArms (hiswarriors),hisHands(hisstewardsorpriests)placewaterintotheearth.Thismaymeanthat therewasaritualperformedinthewaitingplacethatinvolvedpeopleactingasthearmsandhands ofthespiritwhoactuallypouredorputwaterintothegroundasameansofenticingthestormspirit todolikewise.Itwouldbeinterestingtolearnwhethertherewasageologicalfaultnearthe Monkey'shands.Photographsshowadarkareanearthehandsthatmaybefromerosionorawash. Asinpetroglyphs,topoglyphssomefeatureinthenearbyenvironmentmayhaveinspiredthe physicalplacementoftheFigureaswellasitsincorporatingaspectsofthatenvironmentintoits message.